by Diane Darcy
Grace gulped and tried to breathe, tried to look normal, so that anybody watching wouldn’t get suspicious.
“Now, smile. You’d better make it look like you’re enjoying my company. Otherwise, it’s your sick friend who will pay the price.” He shrugged. “It’s your choice.”
She reined in her emotions and nodded. She wouldn’t risk Minnie.
“I said smile, or you’ll be the one getting stabbed.”
She smiled.
“Miss Carmichael! Where are you going?”
Grace kept walking, but turned her head to see a cowboy she recognized. She lifted a trembling hand and waved.
“I’m waiting for my kiss!”
“Don’t forget Minnie,” the gruff voice reminded in her ear.
Her throat was dry but she managed to smile and croak out, “Clay, don’t you worry! I’ll be right back!”
What she wouldn’t give to see Luke show up right about now. Or the sheriff. Or even their friend, Mr. Graham. Any one of those imposing men would look really good to her right about now.
Sweat beaded on the back of her neck.
She glanced toward the hotel. Blast that tournament! It really had ruined everything, and might even end up getting her killed. No one was going to save her this time.
If she was going to get to Minnie, keep her safe, and perhaps even escape with her, she was on her own.
Chapter 30
Why couldn’t he just lose?
He wasn’t willing to throw the game—he didn’t want any regrets later—but why couldn’t any one of these yahoos take him? Some of these men were reputed to be professional gamblers.
He wasn’t seeing it.
He watched the crowd carefully when he could, his gaze darting between the crowd and his cards.
He glanced at the man sitting across from him. The fellow was from New Hampshire, if he remembered correctly. Tall and lean with sharp eyes; his opponent didn’t give much away.
A group of about fifteen men stood around waiting for the outcome, and others came and went.
Gabe came back into Luke’s line of vision and shook his head.
Blast it! What if the kidnapper was outside? Now? With Grace?
He asked for another card and forced himself to think. She was in a crowd of people, so what could possibly happen?
That thought led to the next. She could be out there kissing another man, that’s what could happen. He was definitely going to turn her over his knee when he got his hands on her. She could count on it.
“You look like you’re sweating, Mr. Mayor. Excessively so.” The man sitting across from him mocked. They were the only two left at this table, and a few men standing around murmured their agreement.
Luke shrugged. “I sweat a lot. I wouldn’t read too much into it if I were you.”
The man threw in some chips. “Too bad I don’t believe you. Show me your cards.”
With a sigh of resignation, Luke laid down his hand.
The crowd murmured, pleasantly surprised, and the man across from him threw his own cards down. “I would’ve sworn I had you that time.”
If only. “I told you not to read too much into it. It’s hot in here.”
The man shook his head and laughed. “Believe me, next time I’ll listen to you.” He stood from the table and went to join the other men standing by the wall, and received several slaps on his back and a couple of handshakes for his efforts. He was glad not every man had deserted to attend the picnic.
“Time to combine the tables!” Conroy Nixon made the announcement with a sweep of his hand.
Luke’s knee bounced as a sixth sense assured him something was wrong. No kidding. His girl was probably outside kissing another man. That would probably account for the lead weight in his stomach as well.
He looked around at the competition, the spectators.
No one stood out.
There’d been a murder, an attempted kidnapping, and a shooting.
They might all be unrelated—they probably were—but … he looked around at the men shifting tables.
Sawyer was still in play. So was Angel, and a couple of other men he recognized. Gabe was chatting with the bartender.
Why wasn’t Gabe sticking with Grace? Maybe even protesting the raffle? Of course, Gabe wouldn’t care if some other man kissed Grace. Heck, he’d bet Gabe would kiss her if he got the chance. He might even have a raffle ticket in play. He’d been out of the game a long time, coming and going. Luke would bet anything he did have a ticket.
He stood and made a move toward the main table. Did he really need to be here? Other than ego, he really didn’t. His goal for the school was met. If he won, there would probably be a host of hard feelings spring up from that anyway.
He really hadn’t even thought he’d be in the game this long. He just hadn’t wanted to miss out on the fun.
“Gabe.” He gestured his friend over.
Gabe approached. “Yes?”
“I want you to take over for me.”
Gabe’s eyes widened. “Are you serious? Why?”
He didn’t want to tell him it was because he had to make sure Grace was safe from flirting and kisses. His chest tightened as worry pushed to the forefront. “I need to make sure nothing happens to Grace.”
“I checked on her a while ago. She’s right in the middle of the crowd, playing games with the children. I’ve got eyes on that horse. Anyone approaches it and we’ve got him.”
Luke was still going. As mad as he was at her, apparently he’d choose Grace over this tournament. He’d rather have her than a win, and the growing knot in his stomach was telling him there was something wrong. What if she kissed another man and her affection settled on him instead? What if she resented him so much their budding relationship couldn’t be salvaged? He didn’t know why he was feeling this way, but he was, so he was going to find her, hopefully before she kissed anyone.
Luke clapped Gabe on the back.
“I need to win a girl and I don’t think I can do it from here.”
“All right.” Gabe shook his head, but he was grinning and couldn’t take Luke’s seat fast enough. “You can count on me. If I win, we’ll split it, fifty-fifty.”
Luke grinned, knowing he’d never see a dime.
Sawyer settled into the seat next to Gabe. “You need to win a girl? You need your head examined. She’ll still be there if you stay here and win.”
Gabe tried to shush Sawyer by gesturing him to silence. “Stop it, you’ll change his mind!”
Luke smiled at the table at large, and at the surprised and disgusted bystanders. “Good luck, gentlemen.”
“No woman is worth this!” Sawyer called after him.
“This one is.”
Just like that, Luke walked away to find his girl.
Grace could see the carriage up ahead. Among the wagons and horses, it was the only enclosed conveyance. More suited to a big city than a small town full of wagons and horses, and to kidnapping somebody, too, she supposed.
She forced herself to look natural and several people waved and called out greetings.
She waved back and hoped her smiles were enough to save Minnie’s life.
Another man spotted her and called out, “Hey, Miss Carmichael!” He lifted a raffle ticket in the air. “I’m plannin’ on winnin’ that kiss!”
Grace waved.
Suddenly, she felt like one of the characters in Treasure Island, the part where Long John Silver took Jim hostage and Jim didn’t know whether he’d be able to escape with his life or not.
Her heart pounded in her throat. She sucked in air, and tried to control her trembling hands. Such situations were fun to read about, but not so fun to live through.
When they reached the carriage, the man behind her opened the door and grabbed her arm. “Get inside.”
After a frantic look to see if anybody noticed her situation, she stumbled inside the shadowed carriage. It was empty. “Where’s Minnie?” She immediately started to bac
k out, but the point of a knife pricked her in the back and she stilled. Added pressure had her moving inside away from the blade.
The man climbed in after her and shut them inside the darkened interior. “I want you to remember what I did to you with a knife once before. Do you recall?”
She couldn’t breathe. Chills raced up the back of her neck and she relived the slice of pain that had followed the slice of her skin. There wasn’t a shred of doubt this was the same man who’d stopped Penny in New York City.
“Where is Minnie?” she demanded.
She’d surrendered for nothing. The point of the knife was against her side now.
“All it would take would be for me to lean into your body and this knife would be buried inside you to the hilt.”
The man was insane. “But … but you said Minnie would be here, in the carriage.”
“I never had Minnie, you stupid cow. I have no idea where your friend is, nor do I care. But if you attract any attention, I will hurt the very people I said I would. That is my vow to you.”
“Please, don’t.”
“Shut your mouth. I’m going to tie your hands. If you scream while I’m doing so I will choke the life right out of you.”
He pushed Grace onto the seat and as he tied her hands, she couldn’t remember ever being so scared in her entire life. Her heart thundered hard in her chest as tears filled her eyes. “Please, please don’t do this.”
“That’s rich, coming from you. You, who stole my true love. Do you honestly think I would show you any mercy, when you showed me so little?”
He glanced at her tied wrists in satisfaction. “Look how easy you were to trick. I didn’t even need Minnie. I knew you’d protect her, just like you protected Penny from me.”
He bound her feet together, then forced a strip of material into her mouth and tied it tight around the back of her head, pulling her hair in the process.
He sat back, eyeing her in satisfaction.
It was all right. She’d be able to escape. As soon as he started to drive the carriage away, she’d be able to turn around and open the door with her bound wrists and escape.
He picked up a bottle from off the floor.
He poured bitter-smelling liquid into a handkerchief and quickly pressed it across her mouth and nose. The acrid smell burned her nose and throat as she tried to wrench away, but he easily subdued her.
Dizziness overwhelmed her and she could feel herself growing weaker. She was going to pass out. She’d be helpless.
“And now I’m going to take you someplace, and you’re going to tell me exactly what I want to know.”
Those were the last words she heard before everything went black.
Luke headed over to the picnic and searched for Grace. When he couldn’t find her anywhere, he started to ask around.
“Mrs. Braxton, have you seen Grace?”
The older woman turned around and stuck her nose in the air. “And what, may I ask, are you doing here?”
He didn’t have time for this. “Grace? Have you seen her?”
Mrs. Braxton sniffed. “The last time I saw her she was playing a game with the children over by the fishpond.”
“Thank you.”
She sniffed again and turned away to talk to her friends once more.
Luke ran down to the fishpond, but Pearl was the one playing games with the children. “Have you seen Grace?”
Pearl shook her head.
“Did you see where she went?”
Again, all he received was a shake of the head.
He glanced around and started to walk away.
“She’s wearing a green taffeta dress.”
He turned around to see Pearl wringing her hands anxiously.
“Thank you.”
He took off, searching the crowd once more, looking for the green dress he’d seen her in earlier.
He asked a few more ladies, and it occurred to him that perhaps the men would pay closer attention. He crossed the grass to talk to Matt Taylor. “Have you seen Miss Carmichael?”
“Yes. She said she’d be right back.” He lifted up his raffle ticket. “I’m hoping to win a kiss from her.”
“Don’t count on it.”
“Hey, I know she’s your girl, but if she’s up for it, I am too. And I have just as much chance as the next man, don’t I? Did you buy a ticket?”
“Give me yours.”
“No way.”
“Hand it over.”
Matt opened his mouth to protest, then seemed to change his mind. He sighed and passed it over with a scowl.
Luke snatched it away. “Where did you see her last?”
The cowboy pointed back toward the hotel. “She was walking with a gentleman. Like I said, she said she be right back.”
“Gentleman?”
“Yes. The man sported an eye patch.”
An eye patch? Luke headed toward the main road and looked around. He’d sat across from the man wearing the eye patch earlier. The man had lost too easily. It had seemed off, but he’d let it go. Could the patch be a disguise?
Why would he have entered the tournament?
Elijah and Benny ran up to him. “Mr. Mayor. Come race the canoes with us. If you’re on our team we’ll win for sure.”
“I’m looking for Miss Carmichael. Have you seen her?”
“She got in a carriage with Long John Silver and left.”
Luke’s heart stuttered. “She what?” She’d gotten into a carriage with a man and driven off and no one thought that strange?
Benny hit Elijah. “Silver had a peg leg.”
“So.” Elijah hit his brother. “He could have his eye shot out by the time the book ends.”
“You don’t know that!”
“Which way did they go?” Luke roared.
Wide-eyed, they both pointed east.
“He had a really splendid knife. He showed it to Miss Carmichael.”
Luke’s blood ran cold. “The man pulled out a knife?”
“Yes, and he had that patch on his eye. Do you think he’s a pirate?” The boys looked excited by the prospect.
So much for his lauded instincts. His lack of insight might have gotten his girl killed. He’d told Gabe where to find her earlier, just before the man with the eyepatch lost at cards.
He’d practically handed Grace to him on a platter.
If he hadn’t left the tournament, she might have been hours away before he noticed. Luke glanced around. Eyeing Coop Stillwater, he rushed toward him. Coop could get a posse together, and while he did, Luke would ride after Grace.
Chapter 31
Grace woke to a nightmare.
She slowly came to her senses only to realize she was tied up on the floor of a fast-moving carriage.
Her memory came flooding back and she wiggled around in the crammed space until she could brace her back against the bench. She tried to free her hands, even tried using her teeth to loosen the thin rope, but it was hopeless. She used her legs to get herself onto the seat, and looked out the window. They were traveling through country, and she could see sage, rocky outcrops, and grass. A mountain range was in the distance, but she couldn’t see any houses or buildings of any kind, and had no idea where she was.
How long had they been driving?
She looked at the latch on the door, and decided to attempt to open it. If she jumped out at this speed, she’d likely break bones, but she had to risk it. If she didn’t, she was as good as dead.
Just as she maneuvered herself toward the door and tried to grasp the handle, the carriage pulled up and she was thrown forward onto the other bench.
He was stopping.
To check on her?
She scrambled for the latch, grasped it, and tried to wrench the door open.
It was locked.
Fear crawled up her spine as she slowly sank down on the seat.
The carriage rolled to a complete stop and she could feel it sway as her captor swung down.
In less than
a minute, he had the door open and they stared at each other. He wore a look of extreme triumph on his face.
She tried to keep her own expression blank.
“I see you are awake.”
“I am.”
“That shouldn’t surprise me. When we were in New York City, and you fought back, I knew how strong you were. And when I arrived here to claim my bride, instead I find the cuckoo in the nest, once again thwarting my plans.”
“What can I say. I live to cause you trouble.”
He smiled grimly. “Not for long, you don’t.”
Her blood chilled but she straightened her shoulders. Placate the man or help him lose his mind? She wasn’t even sure what she was going to say as she took a deep breath. “Penny never wanted you. In fact, she loathed you. Why couldn’t you just leave her alone?”
Apparently, she’d fight. He may have won, but that didn’t mean she had to make it easy on him.
She half-expected him to lunge at her but he remained standing outside the carriage, eerily calm, which scared her more than she would have thought. “Where is the estimable Penny Carmichael?”
Sweat formed between her shoulder blades. No one was coming for her. No one realized she’d left. She knew she was completely on her own and might die this very day.
“Who are you? Why have you done this? If you wanted to marry Miss Carmichael, why didn’t you court her the way a normal suitor might?”
“Because she was already mine.”
“How did you reach that conclusion?”
“When our eyes met, we both knew it. We are soul-mated.”
Grace snorted. “She’s a young girl and you scared her.”
“I suppose that such strong feelings, in one so young, could be frightening.”
“Frightening? You pawed at her. You knifed me. She was horrified by your behavior.” She glanced beyond him, looking for something, anything that might distract him, but there was nothing.
He waved his hand. “That’s all behind us now. When my love and I are married, all will be forgotten, forgiven.”
“You don’t know Miss Carmichael very well, do you?”
“Our hearts meet on a higher plane. I know her better than anyone.”
